Wow... just wow.

I dont even know where to start reviewing this book. There are so many aspects that I'm scared to talk about, in fear that I could spoil everything.

K.L Slater is, just quite simply a writing mastermind. I cant even begin to imagine the tangles she got in while writing this book.

There are so many characters and POV from them, that you would think it would be difficult to keep up, and no doubt confusing. But actually, it is the complete opposite. I found it very easy to decipher who's chapter it was just by their inner dialogue!!

The characters are brought to life in so much depth, through inner dialogue, the conversations they have. You really feel like you get to know each and every one of them.

I will admit, that when I read the blurb I wondered how such a crazy thing of marrying the killer of your son could turn into a thriller. Thought it was going to be such a simple thing to work out and predict what was going to happen.

But then you get further into the book, and in the words of Steve Irwin 'Crikey!' Because K.L Slater hits you with a bang, and then another and then another. And they don't stop until you turn that last page.

Another thrilling masterpiece from this author and I CANNOT wait to read the next one!

Oh my gosh! This is stunningly genius, shocking, provocative and one of the daring plot line I’ve ever read: Bridget at age 48 is ready to tie the knot with her 20 years younger groom. The age difference could be least of their problems. Because her young groom Tom was calling her aunt Bridget when he was wearing short pants and playing with her son Jesse. And now her groom is about to release from prison after 10 years later. What? Is he a criminal? What did he do? He killed her son and now she’s marrying with her son’s murderer because they learn to let bygones be bygones and the magic of restrictive justice program not only help them get through their traumas, it also push them fall for each other?

Is your mouth wide open now? I guess your answer is yes! I felt the same after reading a few chapters and asking myself if it could be for real.

My suspicious mind and spider spider senses push me question Bridget’s ulterior motives: could she really fall in love with the boy she took care of like her own son, the very same boy who has taken her own son’s life! Does she have secret agenda to make pay Tom’s family Jill and Robert who turned their backs to her after the murder and blamed her to raise a wild son who triggered Tom into a big fight, carrying a knife which ended up with Tom’s prisoning when only thing he did was defending himself.

Is Tom looking for mother figure who truly understands trauma he’s been suffering. Or has he been really platonically in love with Bridget for years? Could he have killed Jesse intentionally and now paying the price of his crime by marrying her?

And what about Tom’s family: Jill stopped living her life when her son arrested and put behind the bars for ten years, waiting for his release to provide him safe and sound life. And his father Robert who estranged for his mother is more agitated and hostile around him, reminding him of his mistakes over and over. Could they approve the marriage? You can guess their outrageous reactions and tremendous shock, can’t you?

And let’s not forget Coral who was Jess’ pregnant girlfriend when he died, raising her ten years old son Ellis who has hard time to understand the weird family dynamics because Bridget and Tom married in prison and they want both parties accept their marriage and adjust the new normal.

But of course the resentments, untold opinions, boiled frustrations will escalate. As the secrets and web of lies will reveal, somebody will get truly hurt!

I like the original, juicy, outstanding storyline idea and execution of it was also well crafted with impeccable characterization.

The ending was also made me laughed and reminded me of dear karma is truly b*tch!

K.L. Slater is one of the talented authors made you read her amazing, heart pounding, smart, fast pacing works in one sit.

This is one of the most provocative, dazzling, outstanding works of her I advised to go blind and enjoy!

Special thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest opinions.

thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read this ARC.

Wow! What a story! 5 Stars!
I couldn't picture this scenario - still can't.. As I kept reading it was a surprise after another surprise. Kept me on my toes.
I have read many books by K. l. Slater and have loved every book. I highly recommend this book.
KL Slater certainly knows how to hook a reader.

KL Slater does it again! I loved this domestic thriller with multigenerational layers of love, hate and everything in between. Great twists and turns throughout the book.
Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Okay, wow! There’s a lot to unpack here! I grabbed The Marriage by K.L Slater as a change of pace from all the romance I’ve been reading. The synopsis of this book had me hooked. While everything isn’t as it seems here, the build up kept me guessing. While it’s mind blowing to say the least that Bridget Wilson marries Tom Billinghurst, her son Jesse’s killer and childhood best friend - it’s understandable that all the people closest to them are shocked and trying to keep their own secrets hidden. Slater kept me interested the whole time trying to figure the motives behind the marriage, and what everyone was hiding from everyone else. The Marriage is written in four or five points of view, though not in first person and between flashbacks and present day. The ending was a little anticlimactic I thought, however I would still recommend this if you like to be kept guessing!

*Thanks to NetGalley, K.L Slater and Bookoutour for advanced e-ARC in exchange for review.

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

This is the first book that I have read by this author and although I enjoyed it I did feel that it stalled in places and could have been condensed a little. The story-line was unique but it didn't fire me up as much as I had expected from the blurb.

Another 5 star book by the wonderful author KL Slater. All of the books she has written are truly masterpieces and true to the genre of Psychological Thrillers. Highly Recommend reading this brilliant book.

My true rating for this book is 4.5 stars. This is the story of Bridget and Tom. Twelve years ago Tom went to prison for manslaughter of Bridget’s son Jesse after amateur boxer Tom dished out a single punch, now Tom and Bridget are getting married. We get to see the ripple effect that it has on their friends and family. Is it true love or does one of them have an ulterior motive?

This book was fast paced with lots of twists and turns. I had a fixed idea from the start of what I thought was going to happen This book was not as predictable as I thought it was going to be. Just when you think that you have it all figured out another possibility rears its head. I enjoyed this read immensely but I felt it petered out a little bit towards the end.

What a brilliant read from the very beginning to the end, the story line was brilliantly addictive and all the characters were believable and interesting.

I have read all books from this author and never been disappointed and she has just got better and better in my opinion.

I can most definitely recommend this book and thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture for giving me the opportunity to read this fantastic book.

Whoa!!!!!!!!!! The twists and turns in this novel were AMAZING!!! A Fantastic read, I Loved it and didn’t want this to end. You felt right from the beginning that you were part of the story with the characters, it was soooooo good. Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for an Incredible read. You will Love The Marriage.

I have mixed feelings on this book.

On the one hand it was a really interesting story. And the premise was totally original. I mean a woman marries her son's murderer, who happens to be the same age as her son was? Totally different.

The issue that I had was I wasn't sure what type of book it was supposed to be. It stated it was a psychological thriller. However, the first half read more as literature - how this situation came about, how friends and family reacted etc. Don't get my wrong - it was really interesting - but it wasn't suspenseful.

Then the second half of the book was a suspense novel. I just felt like it was a bit disjointed.

All that being said, I read the whole book (I am notorious for quitting a book halfway when it bores me). And I was fascinated by the characters and the story.

Wow just wow! This book’s blurb had me shaking my head at first & saying “it’s not possible” - it became a must read! This book is so crazy! There’s a few main characters, but the author does a wonderful job differentiating them. Ten years ago a death changed the lives of two families; Bridget / her son Jesse and Jill & Robert / their son Tom. A night of drinking and secrets caused Tom to punch Jesse causing him to fall and hit his head on pavement. Jesse died from impact & Tom was sent to prison. During that time, Bridget and Tom began to correspond and visit thanks to the Restorative Program. They fall in love and get married 😳 before he is released! Family drama, friendships, shame, and secrets comes to play! There’s a few twists, one I figured out but then it shocked me cus it veered left OMG! I highly recommend this one for a quick psycho thriller! Thank you to Bookouture, NetGalley, and the author for a gifted copy. This is my honest review.

A suspenseful read. I was hooked on this book from the moment I read the tagline. A cleverly woven plot which had me guessing continuously as to what was going to happen and exactly what the different characters motives were. A really good read

Thanks to Netgalley and Bookature for the opportunity to read this book. It was a very well written book. I felt that it was more of a drama than a thriller. The characters are credible & the plot is really interesting Why would someone marry their sons killer?! A good read just not a thriller

I would not call this book a thriller, because the pace and suspense is not what I expect from a thriller. This book moves very slowly and strategically towards the end. The ending is too abrupt for my taste. The story itself is intriguing, and I especially enjoyed the fact that it is a bit different. If your son's best friend kills your son, and you end up marrying him later on, that is for sure something people will have a hard time dealing with, and you know it will not be an easy journey.

My favourite thing was the characters. they were all so human, yet quirky in their own ways. It is sadly easy to see that many of these things could happen, and probably do happen every day. One thing gets out of hand, and your world falls apart. You lose friends, your family, and probably your mental health. People are stubborn, and many of us do not forget or forgive.

I enjoy proper psychological thrillers or then action thrillers, and I found this one to be neither. It is worth the read, but I have to say I expected it to be different from what it turned out to be. 3,5 stars.

K.L Slater has done it again!! The M arriage is gritty, dark and leaves you with surprise after surprise.

Reading through you’re suspicious of every character, what’s their intentions / the bigger game?
I was desperately trying to figure it out as the plot drew together but the twist left me shocked! (And delighted - this really is a fantastic story!)
I’ve read every one of Slaters stories and The Marriage is yet another hit! A highly. recommended family thriller.
5/5

How does she do it? Every book I have read by this author I have really enjoyed. Every time one comes out I think surely its not as good as the last one, it hasn't been that long since the previous book. I love books that focus around relationships and the complexity of different types we have. Bridgit and Jill are best friends until Jill's son Tom kills Bridgit's son Jesse. The relationship of the two women is broken beyond repair. So why does Bridgit marry Tom? Jill feels something is not right. The book is an easy read with short chapters that make you want to read just one more. The characters become real and 3 dimensional. I finished it in a day.

I was shocked when I read the blurb about this book and had to pick it up because I just couldn't picture this scenario - still can't. "Ten years ago he killed my son. Today I married him." After reading the book, I still can't imagine this scenario! But, I couldn't put the book down even though it gave me the creeps.

As I turned the pages I found surprise after surprise. Nothing was what it seemed. Tom and Jesse were best friends, then Tom killed Jesse. Was it an accident or did he intend to kill him? Bridget was Jesse's mother. Then she marries Tom. Tom's mother, Jill was best friends with Jesse's mother, Bridget - until Tom killed Jesse. And then there's Coral who was pregnant with Jesse's son at the time he died. That's a whole other story.

This is told from different points of view and different timelines as well. The characters are over the top. The plot moved swiftly, keeping me on edge. Great thriller, K. L. Slater!

Thanks to Bookouture through Netgalley for an advance copy.

3.5 STARS

I'm a Slater fan and I'm always happy to read her entertaining mysteries filled with secrets and domestic drama!


The characters came to life and the story took me on a twisted litte journey. A shocking premise of a woman who married a man in prison for killing her son. Why would she even do that?! One character really got on my nerves!! Could that be the one who gets it in the end?

A fast, easy read with some surprising twists, drama, and that karma that delivers!

Another great book by K L Slater. Lots of twists and turns to keep you guessing. I read it over a weekend and could hardly put it down.